


(un)limited

by TheSecretsLie



Category: Shazam! (2019), Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Physical Disability, Swearing, angry boys, they have a lot of emotions okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:01:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretsLie/pseuds/TheSecretsLie
Summary: Billy doesn't know how to be there for Freddy...but he wants to try.





	(un)limited

**Author's Note:**

> I worked on this for a couple weeks and just couldn't seem to wring anything more out of it so here is what we got.

Billy had gotten used to chatting with Freddy on his way home, so he honestly felt a little lonely when his brother had to leave early for a doctor’s visit. He was anticipating catching back up over some mortal combat when he walked in the door but found it surprisingly quiet. His other foster siblings had all entered before him and had quickly dropped their volume for some reason. Billy furrowed his face, eyes searching the home. His foster mother quickly caught his attention, waving him over into the kitchen.

“Is something wrong? Why’s everyone so quiet?” he asked, words speeding up. Rosa quickly placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“No, oh no, Billy nothing is wrong. I should have mentioned it this morning, Freddy had to go to physical therapy today and he typically keeps alone the rest of the day after.”

Billy’s posture relaxed, “Oh okay. Is, is he alright though?”

Admittedly, Billy knew next to nothing about what was wrong with his brother’s leg. He only had objective data from watching the other or hearing him complain half heartedly on occasion. He also had no idea about chronic illnesses. Rosa half smiled at him, “Yes, he is okay _mi amour_ , just a little disgruntled. Freddy gets frustrated with himself easily, days like today tend to remind him of his limits.”

Oh, that sucked…

“Should I stay out of the room? I – I don’t want to bother him.”

“Of course not Billy, it is your room too, and it would honestly do him some good to focus on something else for a while,” she turned back towards the counter top and handed Billy a cup of water and a couple pills, “Give him these for me would you dear?” Billy nodded and gave her a small smile as he took it and turned to make his way up the stairs.

Billy could sense the difference in the atmosphere before he even cracked the door to his shared bedroom. Instantly he was aware of the state of disaster it was in. Yes, it was typically pretty messy with two teenage boys living in it, but the chaos was far more extreme then normal. Books were thrown on the floor, torn paper strewn everywhere, Billy even caught sight of Freddy’s desk lamp thrown in the floor, the bulb shattered, and his crutch tossed next to it. The center of the hurricane was propped against his dresser, eyes closed, and head tilted back. Billy entered the room fully and Freddy opened his eyes but refused to meet Billy’s gaze.

“Just leave the meds and go away,” he muttered, suddenly interested in the state of the nearby wall.

Billy kicked the door shut with his heel and plopped down on the floor next to Freddy, the latter looking fairly perturbed.

“What part of ‘go away’ did you not get?” Freddy bit out before grimacing and pressing the heel of his palm into his thigh, trying to force the spastic tension out of the extremity.

“Yeah, no. See I’m trying this whole ‘not being a douchebag,’ thing, and I’m pretty sure that leaving your brother on the floor when he can’t get up doesn’t qualify as not douchey,” Billy responded as he held out his hand with the pills in it. Freddy frowned, but took the medicine and the cup Billy had sat down.

“Also, Rosa would kill me.”

“I can get up when I feel like it,” Freddy argued, ignoring the look Billy gave him.

“Of course, my bad, I just didn’t realize you had the ability to summon things across the room.” Billy watched his brother clench his eyes shut and turn away once more.

“Freddy, let me help.”

“I don’t want your help!” Freddy shouted, hands clenching into fists as a sharp crack sounded when the fists beat down against the floor.

“I don’t want to _need_ help, I’m so sick of this shit!”

All at once Billy was a severly out of his depth. He’d had one or two other foster siblings with some form of disability, but he never got close enough with them for it to matter. Billy couldn’t imagine the amount of frustration Freddy felt, but at the same time he _did_ need the help and Billy wanted to give it to him. He just didn’t know how. Shit, now Freddy was getting that look where he might punch Billy. Or cry, he wasn’t sure which but neither sounded like good outcomes. Billy also couldn’t ignore the fact that Freddy seemed to be in a lot of pain which wasn’t typical either.

“Look man, I can’t imagine how much this sucks, and I probably never will, but I’m working on this brother thing, and I care about you, so I want to try and understand.”

The room was silent for a moment before Freddy sighed and rubbed at his eyes.

“Can you hand me that?” he pointed to the scene of the lamp murder where his crutch lay conspicuously. Billy did so wordlessly. Freddy tried to get up like he normally would, leaning the majority of his weight on the device, but only got half way up before he dropped back down onto his good knee. Billy hesitated before slipping his brothers arm over his shoulder without giving the other time to argue. He bore the brunt of Freddy’s weight and helped him to the bunk as best he could. Freddy thumped onto his bunk with a grunt.

“So, I thought physical therapy was a good thing?” Billy dared to ask, pulling over the nearby desk chair.

“It is to a degree. I mean, If I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t be able to walk at all.”

Oh, Billy hadn’t know that.

“The downside is, it hurts like a bitch. Stretching out the ligaments and shit, it fucking sucks. Then after they keep trying to clench back up and it's just shit.”

Billy shifted around in the chair as Freddy continued to try and reduce the pain in his leg.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Billy asked gently. Freddy shook his head, then abruptly stopped.

“Actually, could you grab the heating pad out of the closet?”

Billy nodded as he stood and began looking around the closet, eventually finding it. He helped set up Freddy with a pillow and the heating pad before resuming his position in the desk chair. Billy fidgeted around while Freddy closed his eyes momentarily, relaxing into the warmth. Without opening his eyes, Freddy let out a slow and purposeful breath.

“It was an accident when I was a kid. Parents didn’t care enough to have it treated right and the damage became permanent.”

Billy felt himself tense up; this was more information than Freddy had ever willingly shared with him. The other boy’s self-conscious tendencies had kept him from even acknowledging his impairment to begin with.

“That’s such bullshit,” Billy seethed, finding himself standing up.

“Like why are people so terrible? How could someone see this awesome kid and not want to take care of him like he deserves?” Freddy gave Billy a startled look as he began ranting.

“Like you are the coolest person I know and you’re so freaking smart, I just don’t get it.”

The air sat heavy between them for a moment,

“I-I don’t know. Why do adults do any of the crappy things they do?” Freddy paused, “I guess, I guess the good people, like Rosa and Victor, they outweigh all the bad ones. They took this broken 10-year-old and- and they didn’t have to do that. They didn’t have to be there for any of us, but they were, and they are.”

Billy let Freddy’s words hang in the air and it occurred to him that his brother was right. All he could come up with to say was, “You’re not broken Freddy. Well, no more than any of the rest of us.”

The other boy fidgeted with the bottom of his t-shirt, “I’m never not going to be like this Billy. I’ve been lucky to get a family that overlooks that, but it doesn’t change reality.”

       “Screw reality. You need a crutch to walk, so what? People like the Bryers, like Sivanna, those are the ones who are really broken.”

        Freddy snorted and thwacked Billy on the arm, “Wow that was so lame.” 

        Billy returned the grin, “Shut up Freeman. Don’t think I won’t lay you out. Now, which Mortal Kombat am I putting on to kick your ass?”


End file.
